Travel Tour Expo 2017 has fewer exhibitors, booths

MANILA — The 24th edition of one of the biggest events for travel and tourism in the country, the annual Travel Tour Expo (TTE), will be having fewer exhibitors this year.

Maria Michelle Reyes-Victoria, chair of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) which is the organizer of the event, said that there are fewer exhibitors because these exhibitors are getting more booths.

“(Booths) went lower because a lot of exhibitors increased the number of booths they got for the Travel Tour Expo. Before they get two or four booths, now some are getting around 22 booths that’s why our exhibitors were lessened,” Reyes-Victoria said.

In 2016, over 100,000 visitors attended the three-day event which had around 331 exhibitors occupying 1,008 booths. It generated PHP254 million in sales.

This year, more visitors are expected to attend the event which will have around 311 exhibitors occupying 984 booths. PTAA still expects to increase the sales this year despite the drop in the number of exhibitors.

Participating agencies include travel and tour agencies, airlines, hotels, and resorts, theme parks, national tourism organizations including the Department of Tourism (DOT), and travel insurance companies.

Entrance fees will cost PHP60 for general admission and PHP40 for senior citizens.

With more visitors attending the expo annually, PTAA Vice-Chair Marciano Ragaza, meanwhile, said that the association is eyeing a bigger venue to accommodate more exhibitors.

“The SMX Convention Center is getting too small for the Travel Tour Expo. We hope there will be bigger venues available within Metro Manila,” Ragaza said.

He noted that some exhibitioners had to be turned down because patron exhibitioners have booked first and want more room.

Simultaneous with the TTE, business-to-business (B2B) meetings will also be held between PTAA and foreign travel agents and tour operators to tap the growing Philippine market.

The expo is slated on February 10 to 12, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. JBP/ANP and Jake M. Castillo/PNA-northboundasia.com